Funeral for a Friend
by A terrible Beauty
Summary: Burying two of your best friends in one day is harsh on a person. This is how i pictured Johnny and Dally's funeral... better on the inside i swear!


A/N: Me and my friend UBERxCOOL just decided to write a sad little one shot last night. It won't be continued after this so yeah. Well we hope you like it and please REVIEW!!!!!!!!

Funeral for a Friend

I looked at myself in the mirror and tightened the tie that was hanging around my neck. I looked tired. I suffer from exhaustion; I haven't slept in days the same nightmare that I can never remember when I wake up haunts my mind. I studied my face. My eyes looked swollen and I looked sickly.

I followed Darry, Sodapop, Two-Bit and Steve into our beat up car. The car ride to the church was dead silent, we didn't have anything to say, the things we were thinking were better left unsaid. It was the day that all of us were dreading; burying two of our best friends in one day is a harsh thing to go through.

xxXXxxXXxx

We blended into the crowd that gathered in their memory. Not many people were there, but to my surprise both the Brumly Boys and the Shepherd Gang were present. There was not a family member there for Dally, not that we expected any to attend. Johnny's mother sat in the back pew her face was red not with sadness, but with anger.

The last time I had been in a church other then the week spent in Windrixville with Johnny, was with the whole lot of us. Only that time we were fooling around and almost having a good time, no one fooled around now none of us had the energy to.

During the entire service I sat there not saying a word, not looking up, and not paying the least bit of attention to what was being said. I heard bits and pieces of Johnny's eulogy though: "He came from a good family." Lies. "His parents are proud he died a hero." Lies. "He had a loving family who would miss him very much."

I laughed "Lies!" I yelled standing up. "Those are all lies! His parents could care less if he was alive or dead, much less be proud of him! They didn't care!" Tears streamed down my face as Sodapop took me by the shoulders and walked me outside. "They didn't care." I said softer.

It was like all the emotion I have ever lacked was coming to me in these few moments. My body shook and I couldn't control myself. Sodapop hugged me but didn't say anything.  
"Shoot! How could they say that? Johnny's parents didn't care. We have to tell them that they didn't care Soda." I was screaming at this point, I didn't even know what was coming out of my mouth. "You saw his mom! You saw his mom back there as if she was annoyed she had to come to her own son's funeral. His dad, his dad didn't even…" The words stopped coming out of my mouth and I tried to catch my breath. Sodapop had nothing more to say then "I know" and he kept mumbling it over and over. It annoyed me, but I didn't expect much more.

Two-Bit walked out with a sullen face on. There was an emotion in his eyes that wasn't sadness, but it was anger. It was similar to the face Dally used to get when he became dangerous.

"It's a load of bullshit" Two-Bit muttered lighting up a cigarette "They're going on about how Dally will be able to saved once he meets God in Heaven. They don't know nothing 'bout Dally, or about Johnny. You heard how they were going on about his loving family, if they only knew the half of it."

I wish I had Two-Bit's strength. He was able to feel the same things I felt but without bawling and being a baby about it. I needed to become strong like that. _Get tough and nothing can touch you_. The words echoed through my mind, it seemed like forever since those words were spoken to me when in reality it was only a few days ago. _Look out for yourself and no one else, get tough like me and nothing can touch you. _ Dally was smart, Johnny and I should have listened to him, we would have been much better off.

Sodapop stopped hugging me and took a step back. He gave my upper arms a squeeze and looked me in the eyes. "You okay little buddy?" His voice was softer then usual and his eyes weren't dancing. I hadn't seen his eyes dance in a while.

I nodded but didn't say anything. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth again I'd begin to have another episode. He accepted that answer and walked back into the church.

"I was half hoping Johnny's mom would follow me out." Two-Bit let out a chuckle and knocked the butt of the cigarette into the street.

"And why would she do that?" Two-Bit knew how Johnny's mom didn't care, and I wondered why she would follow him out.

"A certain finger of mine happened to point at her as I walked out." Two-Bit informed me with a wild laugh.

"I suppose she'll have something to say about it later. When there aren't so many people here. She wouldn't want to start a scene, she's smarter then that." I kicked pebbles on the floor, and I was begging to feel embarrassed of what I had just done.

"Wanna know something funny Pony?" I could tell by Two-Bit's voice that it wasn't going to be 'Ha, Ha' funny.

"What's that?" I took a seat next to him and studied his profile.

"It hurt to look at Johnny's mom. I mean they look almost exactly alike. But I feel like it as an insult to Johnny to even associate him with that bitch. Her showing up here today, it wasn't because she cared. It wasn't because she loved him. And Dally, glory; we were the only people here for Dally." Two-Bit cussed under his breath and threw his head into his hands.  
I knew he wasn't crying. Two-Bit never cried. But I do think it was the only time he was close to tears. I awkwardly put my arm around his back since I had no idea what else to do.

"Johnny once told me, Johnny told me that sixteen years wasn't enough. He said that it didn't give you enough time to live your life. I don't think Johnny would want us to stop being us and to stop living the way we used to weather it's with him or not." I didn't know if it was appropriate but I thought Two-Bit needed reminding that life goes on.

"Now did he tell you this before or after he died?" Two-Bit looked up and scrunched his eyebrows together confused.

"After." I knew it sounded weird but I _did_ get the letter after he died.

"I don't want to know." Two-Bit shrugged it off and stood up. "I think we should go back in." I nodded in agreement and followed him back into the church.

I sat in between Two-Bit and Sodapop, Soda squeezed my leg reassuringly as I put my head in my hands. I couldn't listen anymore everything that came out of the pastors mouth were lies. 'Isn't there something in the Bible about not lying?' I thought to myself.

Before I knew it those in the stands were standing. I didn't wait for my friends to follow before I belted out of the church. On my way out I happened to fall upon the two people who I least expected to be there.

"Pony?" I turned to see Cherry standing there tear streaked and a misplaced Randy standing beside her. The two didn't blend well into the poor surroundings. They were by far the best dressed and well put together. I would have never guessed that they would show up.

"Hi Cherry" I mumbled awkwardly. She threw her arms around me and hugged me. I looked at Randy uneasily and he shrugged. I patted her back strangely because I was completely unsure of what to do.

"Hi Ponyboy" Randy nodded as he shifted his weight back and forth.

"Randy" I returned the nod, unsure of what to do.

"You no good hoods!" I heard someone yell from the behind me, it was a shrill voice and it chilled me to the bone to see who it was. Johnny's mother dearest. She was storming over to me and I was a little worried about what she was going to say or do. I wiggled out of Cherry's grip and stood there uncomfortably.

"You killed my son! It's all your fault. He would be alive today if it weren't for you!" She was in my face screaming and everyone was looking at me. I felt my face get hot and I was trying to press back tears. Maybe it was my fault that Johnny and Dally were dead, if we hadn't run away, then none of this would have happened.

Two-Bit saw how upset I was getting and stepped in "Hey you want to back off a little bit bitch?" He said pulling me back by the shoulders.

"How _dare_ you talk to me that way-"She said furiously.

"I'm giving you five minutes to back off." He said flipping out his switchblade.

Her face froze, she looked like she was going to say something but didn't. Instead she just stormed away.

"You okay Pony?" Two-Bit asked putting his switchblade back in his pocket.

I nodded my head because it was the best answer I could muster.

xxXXxxXXxx

We arrived at the cemetery and stood around two large holes in the ground. I looked around and everyone had the same blank expression on their faces. No one was crying, we were all either all cried out, or past the point of being able to anymore. I stared at the half frozen ground my hands shoved in my pockets, my mind was fuzzy and my eyes were blurring.

I looked at the yellow rose in my hand, thinking about how I would never be able to see my best friend's again. _Sixteen years ain't long enough._ I couldn't help but let the tears slide down my cheeks as I twisted the flower in my fingers. I had this hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach and it wasn't making me feel very great.

The five of us were the only people there; it seemed that everyone else took off after the church service. I stood between Darry and Two-Bit. Darry slipped his arms around mine and Sodapop's shoulders.

The tears stopped as I watched them lower Johnny's casket into the frozen ground. I suddenly became as cold as the ground around me. My body felt numb and I was blocked out from the world around me. The hollow feeling got worse every time they lowered the casket farther down into the ground.

Sights in my head flashed of all the times Johnny and I ever had together. From the time we first became buddies to the time I found that letter in the book, I remembered. It hurt badly but I remembered every bit of it like it was yesterday.

I could feel Two-Bit shaking beside me. I wished he would sit still, he was making me nauseous.

I could hear the priest muttering prayers as the casket was finally in the ground. The words were inaudible to my ears. I didn't even think my parent's funeral was this upsetting. But then again Johnny was only 16, and _sixteen ain't long enough_.

Once the process of burying Johnny was over they did Dally's. His tomb stone was right beside Johnny's. His casket was a bit bigger then Johnny's was. I shivered and was all of a sudden able to feel how cold I was. I felt sick thinking of poor Dally and Johnny being swallowed by the cold, dark ground, it was somewhere they just didn't belong.

Dally was gone, forever.

Johnny was gone, forever.

The kid I used to be was gone, forever.

I brought myself closer to Darry and he gave my shoulder a squeeze of comfort. I let out a sob and then felt embarrassed. Nobody even did as much as look at me. To passers by their faces would look serious, but when I looked at them I could see the hurt and the pain in their faces.

I zoned out once again and watched as they lowered Dally into the ground, right beside Johnny.

I assumed it was over when everyone walked away. I stood still though, and I looked at the graves of my friends.

Dally's was plain, we couldn't think of anything too interesting to right on it. So all it said was _Devoted Friend._

_  
_It was Johnny's grave stone that shook me. The words _Stay Gold_ were written across the polished rock. I knelt beside it and ran my hands over the words.

I was going to stay gold, I was doing it for Johnny.

A/N: I hope you liked it, I thought it was mega sad but that was just me. Please review because I want to know what everyone thought about it.


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